


Young Folks

by peacelovetitans



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crimes & Criminals, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gun Violence, Organized Crime, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Overwatch, Rating May Change, Reader-Insert, Shimada Clan, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tags May Change, Young Hanzo Shimada, genji and reader are just buds, reader is a badass, reader is a paid criminal, shes kinda like a hacker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2018-11-04 15:04:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10993362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacelovetitans/pseuds/peacelovetitans
Summary: You are a young criminal for hire and your unusual profession takes you to Hanamura, where you will be a consultant for the Shimada clan.  There you meet Hanzo Shimada, the young master and heir to an infamous Yakuza empire.  After fighting together and living together with the clan, you become much more entwined with the Shimada family than you ever thought you would.  However, things fall apart.  After knowing what Hanzo did, could you still trust him?





	1. Arriving

____Stepping out of the small train terminal in Hanamura brought a fresh wave of spring air to your lungs.  You stopped for just a moment to survey your surroundings, stretching a bit after the train ride from Tokyo.  In reality, the trip only took a little bit over an hour, but that was considered long these days, as the trains could travel hundreds of miles per hour without ever touching the ground.  Like an arrow piercing the wind.

After spending the last two days surrounded by airships, hover trains, and bustling travellers, the seeming peacefulness of the small Japanese city was a welcome change.  As you looked into the clear sky, you could see the sloping eaves of Shimada Castle.  However, you still had some time to kill before meeting your new employer.  You walked somewhat aimlessly down the street, although you already knew the basic layout of the city due to the research you had conducted on your way to Hanamura.  

You were abruptly pulled from your thoughts due to the large green lizard that had appeared in your field of view.  You realized that you had happened upon a small ramen shop and at once became aware of the hunger you felt from days of travelling with very few hot meals.  Walking under the sheets of fabric that guarded the ramen shop from the street, you were greeted by an old man.

This certainly hadn’t been your first time in the country, and although your Japanese wasn’t perfect, you were able to convey your order to the man behind the counter.  As the man turned away from you to walk into the kitchen, you sat at the counter and mentally prepared yourself for your new job, which was somewhat unlike anything you had done before.  

Even from the start the whole thing was different from other jobs.  Although you had worked for, not with, never with, organized crime groups before, this one was different.  The correspondence you had received from the Shimada clan was very formal.  It had explained to you that you had been “summoned” by Sojiro Shimada to be a consultant to his clan, which was basically his family, plus a small army of mercenaries.  Sure, other mobs operated within family trees but this one was a strict patriarchy with Sojiro sitting at the top.  

The old man came out of the kitchen with your ramen and was gone just as soon as you thanked him.  You began eating and kept thinking.

After some digging to find out if the job in Japan was legit, you discovered that this Sojiro character had two sons: Hanzo, the eldest, and Genji, the youngest.  Both of them were near your age.  There was also the Shimada mother, Sojiro’s wife, but you couldn’t find much on her.  You decided to take the job because the pay was nice and, in all honesty, the strangely traditional methods of the Shimada clan intrigued you.  A little bit of a closer look had taught you that the clan was involved with assassination and the illegal trafficking of weapons and drugs.  This, too, had caught your interest.  You had worked with movers before, but never with assassins.  And although you had seen your fair share of deaths, they were always collateral damage, as awful as it may sound.  People had had their lives cut short because they were sticking their fingers in somebody else’s pie, or had simply been at the wrong place in the wrong time and heard too much.  The endgame of your jobs was never killing.

The old man shuffled from inside the kitchen and a content look was resting on his wrinkled face.

“So,” said the old man, cheerfully, drying off a clean bowl, “what made you take such a long trip to Hanamura?”

“Work,” you replied shortly.  You didn’t trust your rusty Japanese skills to fashion a more detailed sentence, and the man seemed unaffected by your simple answer anyway.

“Ah, what type of work do you do?” the old man questioned, seeming genuinely interested in what you had to say.

“Small business,” you answered lightly, “I gather and sort through information for people.”  Not a complete lie.  But you left out the part where you sometimes fight your way into corporate buildings and even hack personal accounts to weave your web of info.

“I see,” said the old man, nodding, “I hope you enjoy your time here, even if it is for _work._ ”

“Thank you,” you simply said, ignoring the emphasis he placed on _work_ , as if it mattered to him what you did.  You placed the correct amount of yen on the counter and walked out the door, receiving a small thanks from the old man.

You figured it was about time to head over to Shimada castle.  The small conversation you had with the old man working in the ramen shop made you feel a bit more acclimated to the city and gave you the opportunity to use some of your Japanese.  But, how did he know you had travelled a long way to visit Hanamura? 

**. . .**

As you rounded the corner near Rikimaru ramen shop you came upon the gates of the Shimada compound.  The two intersecting dragons carved on the large wooden doors were certainly an imposing image.  They were also quite the contradiction to the services that had already been supplied to you by the clan: two rides in small private planes separated by an overnight stay in the nicest hotel you’d ever been in.  And all of it was courtesy of the Shimada clan.

The gates opened and you were greeted by a smiling petite housemaid flanked two body guards in suits and dark shades.

“Welcome,” said the housemaid in English as she bowed, “I do hope your trip was pleasant.”

“Yes, it was,” you replied, surveying the garden area you had walked into.  There were guards next to you at the door as well as others guarding the entrance to a traditional Japanese tower that housed an impressive looking bell engraved with the clan’s symbol.  There was also a sniper posted on the roof of the small building to your left.  The clan had probably known of your presence in Hanamura before you even stepped foot in the ramen shop.  

“Master Shimada will be pleased to hear it,” the maid said in her small feminine voice. “You must be tired from your travels. I’ll show you to your room where you can rest and get washed up before tea with the master and his sons.”

You gave her a small nod of acknowledgement as she led the way, leaving the guards behind.  The maid led you into another traditional-looking building before turning down a small hallway and then turning down two more identical ones.  The space had changed before your eyes.  When you first entered the building the floors were lined with tatami mats, the walls simply pieces of paper framed by dark wood.  However, as the maid showed you to your room, the floors were now cherry-colored planks of hardwood and the walls were a more modern type of drywall, albeit still framed by dark wood.  

“Here’s your room, miss,” the maid said.  “If anything isn’t to your liking, I’m sure we can arrange to have it changed for you.  And your bags have already been delivered.  Would you like help getting settled?”

“No, I’m sure I’ll manage,” you replied. “Thank you, though.”

“Very well,” the maid said. “I’ll be back in an hour to collect you for tea.  If you need anything at all, please alert the staff.” She departed with a small bow and a soft smile.

You gave her a small nod as she slid the wooden door of your new room shut.

Just as you turned to start unpacking a quick but polite knock sounded at the door and the young maid appeared again.

“My name is Shizune, by the way,” she said with a giggle, dropping her polite stiffness for the first time.

“My name is ___,” you replied, giving her an equally genuine smile.

She gave you another small bow as her round, dimpled face was painted with a wider, more pleased smile, obviously caused by your opening up to her.  

You slid the door shut and looked over what would be your home for the next few months.  There was a double bed, covered in silk sheets and a futon-style blanket, in one corner of the room.  At the foot of the bed was a storage chest made of dark wood and next to that a small closet with a few bamboo hangers in it.  On the far wall of the room was a small round window above a simple wooden desk with a few drawers and a chair.  On the left wall of the room there was a door that led to a small but modern bathroom with black tile floors and white tile walls.

Just as you were about to unzip your bag, another series of knocks were placed upon the door.  Figuring it was just Shizune coming back to tell you something she had forgotten, you didn’t hesitate to fully open the door to your room.  However you were quite surprised when you were greeted rather enthusiastically by a boy not too much younger than you, his wide amber eyes sparkling under the metal headband he wore across his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, then I think you deserve my thanks for reading! This is my first ever fic and I'm honestly so excited. I plan for this to eventually continue into the "present" day in Overwatch. (When Hanzo is old and gray hehe) Some of this might not be totally clear but things will be explained in the coming chapters. The reader is meant to be in the 18-21 age range during this fic. I'm not exactly following the Overwatch timeline in this fic because Hanzo is actually 28 when he kills Genji and I don't think many people realize how old they are when the whole thing goes down. So basically, the story is rolled back a few years so Hanzo is in his early-mid twenties. Reader is gender-neutral in this chapter but eventually I think they will have to be referred to as feminine just to fulfill some of the details later in the story. The story is planned to expand much farther than this so tags are probably going to be changed or added. I should be posting a new chapter at least every other week but I hope to eventually update on a weekly basis. Also, I know the formatting is a little weird but the fic is still readable so I'm not gonna worry about it. Hanzo will be in the next chapter, I promise! As always, I appreciate kudos and comments. <3


	2. Tea

As you opened the door, you recognized the bright-eyed young man standing before you as Genji Shimada.  

“Hey, there,” he said smoothly, “You must be the new girl.  I must say that I have really just been dying to meet you.”

You remained silent.  Even though you weren’t very threatened by Genji, it never hurt to observe those around you.  Sometimes you could gather all you needed just by observing someone.  No hacks required.

“This really isn’t what I was expecting you to look like,” he continued without missing a beat.  “You know that you barely have a presence online right?  When my father told me that we’d have a girl about my age working with us, I figured that I’d get to know her a bit better first.  But, alas, you don’t have a HoloVid profile or anything.  Not even a cute picture for me to look at.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” you replied with light sarcasm.  “You must be Sojiro’s son, Genji.”

“Oh, you recognize me!  So we have a mutual interest in each other, then?,”  he inquired with a smirk.

“Don’t flatter yourself, it’s just part of my job,” you answered shortly.  Sure, he was cute, but you were just here to do your job and move on.

Suddenly, Shizune passed by the end of the hall and caught the youngest Shimada.

“Ah, Genji,” she exclaimed with a small gasp, “Let Miss ____ rest, please.  Your father thought it’d be best.”

“But we were just getting _acquainted_!” Genji replied with a dramatic sigh.

Shizune was still trying, “But, Youngest Master, your father said-”

“I know what my father said,” Genji interrupted, with an annoyed, boyish tone.  “Looks like I better scoot.”

He winked at you before strutting down the hallway, ignoring Shizune completely as she followed after him, attempting to scold him lightly.

You retreated back into your new room, nearly praying that there would be no more interruptions, especially by the playboy.  In your research on the way to Hanamura you had sort of gotten the idea that Hanzo was much more respected than Genji, and not just because Hanzo was the eldest.  

In the few encrypted photos you had uncovered, Genji was always smiling.  Even in the formal family portrait, where everyone stared blankly into the camera, he still wore this sly grin, as if the whole thing was immensely funny to him.  On his Holovid profile, which you assumed he wasn’t even allowed to have, he posted even more photos which were mostly of him and random girls at clubs.  A few of his older posts even showed him with green hair.  What a character.

However, Hanzo was much more private.  No personal photos or messages.  No trackable purchases.  No Holovid.  No encrypted data. No accounts.  Nothing.  This just made you all the more curious about Hanzo, though.

You drifted out of your thoughts and walked into the small bathroom.  You splashed some water on your face and dried off with a small towel. Then you brushed your teeth then ran a comb through your hair, tidying your appearance.  

After this you went back into your room and started putting some of your things away.  Your coat and jacket had gone into the chest at the end of the bed while your shoes had been placed on the floor of the closet.  You hung up your shirts and pants in the closet with a sigh.  Truthfully, you had only taken up a little more than half of the storage that had been provided to you, but you preferred to travel light.

You stared at the storage bin that held all of your electronic equipment.  You really should be working at hooking it up at the desk but you were slumped from your travel and didn’t want to deal with all the roadblocks that came with adapting your equipment to yet another new location.  

Instead, you flopped down on your new bed and stared at the ceiling.  You could tell that the bed was of pretty high quality.  Anything beat a mattress on the floor or a stay in a seedy motel, which is what you usually got when you travelled for jobs.  So far, you had honestly been really impressed with the clan and everything.  The people were professional and polite, the security was tight, and the lodging was borderline luxurious.  What could go wrong?  

After going over all of this in your head, a calm sense of contentedness washed over you, which was rare while on the job.  With this, you let your eyes fall shut for a short nap before tea.

**. . .**

After about twenty minutes, you woke up slowly while blinking the sleep out of your eyes.  You lifted your wrist to look at your watch and found you had a few more minutes before Shizune came to collect you for tea.  You sat up in the bed and stretched before walking to the bathroom and giving yourself a once over in the mirror.  Just as you were leaving the bathroom, a knock sounded at the door.

You pulled open the door to, yet again, be surprised by Genji standing on the other side.  Although this time he was in some sort of traditional garment and wasn’t wearing his ridiculous headband.  You simply rolled your eyes with an expression that asked ‘are you _serious_?’

“I’m here to escort you to tea, princess,” Genji said with an exaggerated bow, ignoring the look you were giving him.  

“Isn’t Shizune supposed to come and get me?” you asked, beginning to be somewhat entertained by Genji.

“I’m going to take you instead,” he said matter-of-factly.  “I’ll be having tea with you guys, anyway.”  

“Alright,” you sighed, figuring it could do no harm.

You followed behind him silently, giving short and simple answers to the questions he asked you about your personal life.  In fact, he was not deterred by your frank answers and his stream of questions seemed almost endless.  Did you have a boyfriend?  Where were you from?  Aren’t your parents looking for you?  Shouldn’t you be in university or something?  How did you even get your job?

Before Genji could ask another question, he stopped suddenly and turned to you.  He looked over you closely from head to toe, putting his hand to his chin as if in deep thought.

“What is it?” you inquired, feeling a bit put off by his staring.

“I think that a change of attire would suit you well when meeting my father,” Genji  said.

“Excuse me?” you asked, exasperated.  You thought what you were wearing was appropriate for meeting your new employer.  

“Follow me,” he said with a devious smirk as he grabbed your hand and led you into one of the many rooms in the estate.  

The room that you entered was of a more traditional style, with tatami floors and paper walls.  There were also alcoves in the walls that housed fine silk garments on wooden stands.  You realized that Genji meant for you to wear one of them and your heart instantly dropped to your stomach with nervousness.  An middle-aged maid who was sitting in the far corner of the room folding clothes turned around and stood when she realized you had entered the room.  

“Oh, Youngest Master!” she exclaimed, bowing, “How may I be of service?”

“I would like my new… _friend_ , here to be fitted for yukata,” he said.

The maid simply gave a nod as she stood and walked over to you.  She pulled a tape measure out of the pocket of her apron and took a few measurements.  Then, she went over to a chest of drawers and pulled out a white robe-looking garment before extending a folding screen that had cranes painted on it.  

While all of this was going on, Genji had been making his rounds through the room, surveying the garments against the walls.

“I think this one would suit you well,” he said gesturing to a light green cotton yukata with a pattern of small white flowers daintily outlined by thin gold thread that shone in the light.

“A fine choice,” said the maid as she removed the garment from its stand and inspected it, “It looks like it will fit her, as well.  You have a good eye, Youngest Master.”

Genji gave a chuckle at this and walked over to where the maid had started setting out other pieces of fabric on a table next to the screen.  He fingered the long strips of fabric and selected a pale pink one threaded with gold and a slimmer one that was a rusty orange color.

“Fine choices, as always,” the maid said as she took the strips of fabric from Genji and put them behind the screen with the other garments.  She gestured for you to come behind the screen but you hesitated, looking to Genji.

“Go ahead, princess,” he said, smirking at you.

“Is it okay?” you asked, genuinely not wanting to offend the clan, “I don’t want to overstay your father’s welcome.”

“It’s fine, I promise,” Genji said, sounding exasperated, “We don’t have all night.  You’ll offend my father more by being late than you will by wearing spare clothes.”

“Genji, are you _sure_?” you asked once more, raising your eyebrows.  It wasn’t like you to get nervous this easily, but you had never botched a job by pissing a boss off and you weren’t about to start now.

“Ohmigod, yes, I’m _sure_ ,” he replied dramatically, “Are you embarrassed to dress in the same room as me, or something?  You’ll be behind the screen, anyway.  But if it makes you feel better, I’ll turn around and cover my eyes like this.”  

He grinned widely as he threw his hands up to cover his eyes.  You rolled your eyes at his childishness but, in all honesty, his joking had relaxed you a bit.

You followed the maid behind the screen and you stripped down to your underclothes.  She held the white robe up behind you so you could get your arms through the sleeves and then folded the robe over the front of your body and tied a flat white sash around your waist to keep it closed.  Next, she helped you into the green yukata just like she did with the white robe, only this time she fashioned it closed with the pale pink obi.  After she was done tying the obi in a simple knot, she placed the smaller rust-colored belt on top of it and tied that in the back, too.  Finally, she brushed your hair in a simple but neat bun at the crown of your head and secured it with an elastic.

You thanked the maid and walked out from behind the screen.  Genji clapped his hands together and smiled brightly upon seeing you.

“You look awesome!” he said, sounding genuine and, for the first time, not flirty.  “And it’s all thanks to my impeccable tastes.”  There was the suave attitude you’d come to expect.  

“Thanks, Genji,” you said with a sigh.  Although it might pain you to admit it, Genji was really starting to grow on you.  His curiosity and enthusiasm held some type of innocence that was very rare in your line of work.

“Shall we be on our way?” Genji asked, smiling down at you while holding an arm out.

“We shall,” you replied, taking his arm and smiling back up at him.

**. . .**

As you and Genji approached the tea room, another wave of nervousness passed over you.  You grabbed Genji’s arm more forcefully and planted your feet to try to hold him back from leading you into the tea room, but he continued to move ahead.  You stumbled after him slightly and put on a mask of confidence as if you always walked around in borrowed yukatas.

You walked into the yellowy-orange lighting of the tea room and caught sight of Sojiro and Hanzo.  Sojiro was just regal as he was in the portraits, sporting long dark hair that was streaked with gray in a half-up half-down style, a long ponytail resting high on the crown of his head.  He also had a long, impeccably neat mustache that hung down past the corners of his mouth, even passing the neatly trimmed and slightly pointed goatee on his chin.  He turned to you with a small smile and a look in his eyes that told you the he held a lot of power and was fully aware of it.  Nonetheless, his expression was warm.

Hanzo was sitting next to him with and observed your entrance with a more neutral expression, although he only met your eyes briefly.  He looked like a younger version of his father with the same wide jaw, defined cheekbones, and hard nose.  Incredibly handsome, no doubt about it.  He seemed to realize what you were wearing when he moved his eyes from your neck down the rest of your body, instantly turning his head to the side and casting his gaze down, looking away from you.  His arm stiffened and reached up to rub the back of his neck before jerking back to where it had been at his side.  It’s as if Hanzo knew he should restrict the gestures of his nervousness.  How adorable.  You repressed your body’s natural reaction of wanting to blush.

“Welcome,” Sojiro said, as he gestured to the space across from him at the tea table.  “I see my son has helped you to one of our dressing rooms.”

You kneeled down on the pillow, your back turned to an impressive mural of two dragons intertwining each other.  You were directly across from Sojiro at the table, while the brothers were opposite of eachother.

“He did,” you replied, “I really hope you don’t mind.  Genji thought it’d be nice.”

“I do not mind at all.  It is my pleasure to accommodate you,” Sojiro replied, sounding genuine, “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” you said, allowing some of the stiffness to run off of your shoulders as you smiled lightly.

Genji looked very proud at this, his eyes closed and arms crossed as a grin was placed on his features.  

“I take it you have already had the pleasure of meeting my youngest, Genji,” Sojiro said as he looked over at his youngest son.

“Yes, I have,” you said, “He’s been a great help to me so far.”

“I think that is the first time that I have ever heard that about him,” Sojiro said, with a joking tone.  Although the man’s sense of humor surprised you, you quietly laughed along, anyway.

“And this is my eldest, Hanzo,” Sojiro said with a more dignified tone as he gestured to the oldest boy to your right.  A look of pride filled his eyes that was absent when discussing Genji.

Hanzo simply nodded at you and you smiled back before he flicked his eyes away.  His arm stiffened again as if he were going to reach up to the back of his neck but he stopped himself before his hand left his lap.  It must be a nervous habit of his.  Good to know.

A maid entered with tea just as the introductions had been finished.  She placed the tray with the black teapot and tea cups in the middle of the table.  Then, she looked to Sojiro with a question on her lips but he raised his hand to silence her.

“I will pour the tea tonight,” he said to the maid before looking to you and continuing, “It is only polite of me to welcome our esteemed guest.”

She nodded silently before bowing and leaving the room.

Sojiro poured a cup of tea and passed it to you before pouring a cup for each of his sons and a cup for himself.

“To excellent work,” Sojiro said, raising his cup lightly.  You and the brothers raised your cups as well before each taking a sip.  

For about the next half hour you and Sojiro chatted idly about business and Hanamura and your plans in the coming days.  You were set to visit the weapons range with Hanzo tomorrow.  The brothers were mostly silent during this exchange save for the one time Genji interrupted and was quickly shushed by his father.  Before you knew it, your tea cup was empty.

“You must be tired,” Sojiro said, “I will have Hanzo deliver you to your room for the night.”

Genji was about to protest to this but, for once, he kept his mouth shut.  

“Of course,” you said, “Thank you for everything.  You have been very generous.”

Hanzo stood and held out his hand.  You took it and raised yourself from the kneeling position you were in, instantly feeling pins and needles in your legs.  You said your goodnights to Genji and Sojiro and continued with Hanzo to your room.  

The walk there was mostly silent.  You sensed that Hanzo wanted to say something but he remained silent.  You two finally made it back to your room and, for the first time, you fully held his gaze.  You opened your mouth to make some lame attempt at flirting to break the ice, but you were cut off as Shizune appeared at the end of the hall.

“Good evening, Young Master,” Shizune said with a bow as she greeted Hanzo before turning to you. “If you’re turning in for the night, I’ll help you out of your yukata, ___.”

“Sounds good,” you responded, laughing quietly.  “I could probably use the help.”

Shizune smiled pointedly at you and entered your room, as if to give you and Hanzo privacy.  

“See you tomorrow morning,” you said to Hanzo, smiling genuinely.

“Very well,” he said, seeming a little like a fish out of water.  “Good night.”

And with that he turned and walked down the hall.  You stared at his back for a second, pondering the width of his shoulders and trying to guess how much he benched.  You thought it funny how Hanzo was burly yet quiet and reserved but Genji was so small and limber but demanded everyone’s attention once he entered the room.

You were pulled from your thoughts when Shizune grabbed your wrist playfully and dragged you through the door and into your room.  

“He’s soooo dreamy, isn’t he?” she asked, her voice vibrant.  

“Yeah, he’s pretty attractive,” you said dismissively as Shizune moved to your back to start undoing the obi.

“Oh, don’t be so coy, ___,” Shizune chided lightly.  “You saw the way he was looking at you.”

“Shut up,” you laughed.  “You sound like some ditz from a corny teen movie.  Besides, he hardly looked at me anyway.”  

“Okay,” Shizune relented, “Maybe he wasn’t _staring_ at your or anything, but the few looks he gave you _spoke volumes_.”  You huffed at her dramatic choice of words but she continued.  “Hanzo Shimada is used to getting what he wants and is not one to look away from things he likes.”

“What’s got you philosophizing all of a sudden?” you asked, entertained by the girl who was three years younger than you and about three times as bubbly.

“I don’t actually get to interact with the family very often,” Shizune explained as she took the white under robe from you.  “I’m still too ‘young and foolish’ to directly serve the Shimadas, so I usually do things for the older maids or serve our guests.  Although Genji always makes an effort to see me since I’m the only one near his age working at the castle.  Believe me, when Hanzo is out and about, I always try to make an appearance.”

You smiled to yourself as Shizune finished folding the robe and turned away from you.  She was so sweet that she almost gave you cavities and was definitely one of your favorite people you had met when working.  You had only been at Shimada castle for a day and already you were bombarded with so many unique personalities and interesting dynamics.  Just then, Shizune produced a pair of your sweatpants and a t-shirt from seemingly nowhere before handing them to you to wear for the night.  

“Anyway,” you continued, attempting to tease her. “Don’t you think Hanzo is a bit old for you?  Genji would probably be a better match.”

“Well I’d never be with either of them because I’m just a maid and they’re practically royalty,” Shizune replied.  “But I do think Genji is insanely hot, too.  He’s also much nicer than his brother.  Which is a shame, you’d think someone like him wouldn’t last long in a place like this.”

Before you could ask Shizune what she meant by ‘a place like this,’ she had already collected all the parts of the yukata in her arms and was making her way toward the door.  

“Goodnight, ___,” she said sweetly.  “I hope we can talk like this again.  It was nice.”

“Of course,” you replied without hesitation.  “Have a good night, Shizune.”

She bowed and went through the door, closing it after her departure.

You were at once made aware of the silence of your new room.  Today had been so busy but at the end of it all you were still alone.  But that’s what always happened, wasn’t it?  You sighed your thoughts away and decided that now would be a good time to hook up your equipment.  At least it would feel nice to have something familiar to hold in your hands.

You started by pulling your desk away from the wall.  To your surprise, there were three outlets on the wall behind the desk.  It should be enough to house all your different converters and splitters, which you would then hook up to your various pieces of hardware.  

You started pulling different cords and plugs from your bin of equipment.  It was a familiar and comforting ritual.  Despite being in a place one day and then halfway around the world the next, hooking up your equipment was always the same.  As you fell into old habits, your thoughts drifted.  More specifically, they drifted to the eldest Shimada brother.  After your talk with Shizune, you could no longer deny it: Hanzo Shimada was pearl-clutchingly handsome.  And dark.  And mysterious.

You let out a quiet huff of laughter at how childish your thoughts seemed.  You seemed like a teen girl fawning over the bad boy your parents warned you about.  Sure, you had met other ladykillers on jobs before, but nothing ever came of them.  For the sake of professionalism, you never let it get past a flirtationship.  Hanzo didn’t seem like the flirting type.  His brother did enough of it for the both of them.  Besides, Hanzo probably had petite, virginal girls from prestigious families waiting in a line to be married off to him.

Dainty footsteps outside your door took you from your thoughts.  You usually didn’t let your mind wander like that, but you were dead tired and didn’t really care at this point.  A soft knock sounded at your door and you opened it to find Shizune holding a tray with a teapot and cup on it.  She had told you that she saw the light under your door and figured you were still up.  An exchange followed in which you both rebuked each other lightly for your bad sleeping habits.  After Shizune left, you gratefully chugged down two cups of tea and flopped onto your bed, falling into a deep sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THREE THINGS:  
> 1\. THIS CHAPTER IS HUGE  
> 2\. LIKE HALF OF IT IS UNEDITED  
> 3\. MOST OF IT WAS WRITTEN ON VERY LITTLE SLEEP
> 
> ENJOY!
> 
> Edit (6-9-17): Chapter edited for spelling/grammar.


	3. Acquaintance

There was a small buzzing sensation at your wrist as the alarm on your watch woke you from your slumber.  You blinked your eyes open and found yourself staring at the ceiling of your room at Shimada castle.  A beam of crisp morning light shown through the circular window above your desk, which was littered with cords and pieces of hardware from last night.  You sat up in bed and stretched your arms open wide before placing your feet on the cold wooden floor.  There was still an hour before Hanzo would be there to pick you up so you padded over to the bathroom and turned on the shower.  As you yawned and let your pajamas fall to the floor, your thoughts drifted to Hanzo.   

After meeting Hanzo just one time, you already knew that he was quite reserved.  As you stepped into the hot water of the shower you had a fleeting feeling of apprehension.  You really hoped things wouldn’t be awkward with him when he was showing you the training area this morning.  Maybe he would be more comfortable there, away from the ever-watching eyes of his father and the antics of his brother.  Besides, it’s not your problem that he’s bothered by his seemingly self-imposed silence.  

You stepped out of the shower and toweled off before putting on your clothes and going over to the sink to brush your teeth.  As you finished combing out your wet hair, you walked back into your room and spotted a covered tray on your desk that had not been there before.  You walked over to the desk and lifted the lid off of the tray, steam immediately rising to your face.  On the tray was a small bowl of white rice with a packet of natto next to it and a plate of golden brown toast topped with a fried egg.  There was also a small orange on the tray and a cup of hot tea.  It occurred to you that your last proper meal was the ramen from the day before which made your stomach growl with hunger.  You set the natto to the side but ate just about everything else and drank all of the tea.  When you were finished, you set the covered tray in the hall outside of your room and then laid down on your bed to rest your eyes for a few moments.

Not long after, a series of knocks on the door got your attention.  As you got up to answer it, the thought crossed your mind of how Genji had come unexpectedly to your door two times before.  You smirked quietly knowing that this time the bright-eyed young man would most likely not be on the other side of the door to sweep you into some wild goose chase.  

You swung open the door to reveal Hanzo standing somewhat tensely on the other side wearing the signature orange and white of his clan.  

“Good morning,” he said, seeming caught off guard.

“Good morning to you, as well,” you replied, smiling up at him.

He simply nodded in return and held his arm out to guide you into the hall.  You began walking down the hall and he kept in stride with you easily while leading the way.  After you and Hanzo turned out of the hallway, you mischievously decided that you were fed up with his aloof nature.

“So,” you said, turning slightly to look at Hanzo.  “Tell me about this training center.”

Not the most solid start but it wasn’t like this was a shakedown or anything.

“What is that you wish to know?” he asked, still looking straight ahead.

“You must go there a lot with your brother, right?”  you asked, answering his question with one of your own.

“Not exactly,” he snapped.  

This was about the answer you were expecting.  Any outside observer could probably see that there were some pretty significant personality conflicts between Genji and Hanzo.  Not to mention the high-society looking glass that always seemed to distort the image of those closest to us.

“For someone who seems to want nothing to do with Genji, you sure do get riled up at just the mention of him,” you said, deciding to push the subject just a little farther.

“I see that his charms have gotten the best of you, just like all the other girls his age.  He is an undisciplined brat and his actions bring shame to my father and burden to my mother,” he said, sighing at the end of his heated rant.

“I see,” you replied neutrally.  “You go by yourself, then.”

“Yes.  Or at least I try to,” he sighed again.  

You decided to remain silent, not wanting Hanzo to get permanently bent out of shape for the morning.  By that time, you two had been walking for a few minutes and were almost to the training area.  You came upon a sealed metal door with a touchpad next to it.  Hanzo typed a series of numbers into the touchpad and the door slid open with a swoosh.  In all honesty, you hadn’t been prepared for what awaited you on the other side.  The training area was a huge and rectangular room, with most of it having a two storey-high ceiling.  The sleek metal space was a welcome change from the traditional architecture.  The far long wall was made completely of glass, scenically overlooking the cliff edge that made up the far side of the Shimada clan’s land.  On the far short end of the room, there were two floors of shooting ranges, separated from the rest of the room by glass.  On the other short end, closest to where you were, there was a similar set up only this time filled with exercise equipment.  The open space in the middle of the room had a few different types of rings for combat training.

“Follow me,” Hanzo said.

He led you across the room to where the shooting range was.  To your surprise, he didn’t walk up to the range but instead took you through a small door you hadn’t noticed before.  The room was lined with an impressive number of weapons lockers filled with guns and ammunition.  There was also an elderly man wearing a suit sitting in a booth in the far corner of the room.  

“Ah, Young Master, how may I help you?” asked the old man, rising from his seat behind the counter and bowing towards Hanzo.

“Show Miss ___ to her locker, please,” Hanzo answered.

“Right this way, Miss,” the old man said, stepping out from the booth.  He led you to the other end of the room, in front of locker number 221.  “This is your locker, Miss.  Simply enter the number you’ve been assigned on the touchpad and it should open up.  Just make sure you sign in with me first before you remove any weapons from this room.  You’re also welcome to sign out any of the training weapons we have, but this locker is for your personal use.”

“Thank you,” you replied, tapping in the sequence of numbers that you had already memorized from your introduction to Shimada castle.  You heard the lock click open as a green confirmation message flashed across the screen of the touchpad.  Inside were all the weapons you had brought with you.  

“It’s our pleasure at the arms department to maintenance the weapons for you, but you are also welcome to come by and take care of them yourself.  We can also assist you in training or with any issues that you may have,” the old man finished, nodding at you.

“Thank you, again,” you said.  He nodded once more and bowed to Hanzo before returning to his place in the booth.

“Want to do some shooting while we’re here?” you asked Hanzo with a grin.  It wasn’t like you had much else to do and you still felt like you could get to know Hanzo a bit better.  Maybe training is where he expressed himself, since it didn’t seem to be through social interaction.

Hanzo eyed you somewhat suspiciously before replying.  

“Sure,” he said.  “We have some time to kill.  Meet me in the shooting range when you’re ready.”

Hanzo then left the room.  You took your favorite handgun out of the locker.  You had brought a few other weapons with you, but this particular pistol had served you well through many of your jobs.  As you approached the booth, you considered the look Hanzo has given you.  Did he really have any reason to be suspicious of you?  It was unusual, but that type of thing was to be expected of him at this point.

When you got to the booth, the old man instructed you of the procedure for weapons removal.  On the other side of the glass, you slid the magazine out from the gun to show that it was empty and made sure that the safety was functioning correctly.  You then deposited the gun into a slot under the countertop, thus transferring the weapon to the man behind the counter.  Then, he instructed you to fill out the form displayed on the Holovid that was on the countertop.  While you filled it out, he put the correct ammunition into the magazine and ticked a few boxes on the Holovid on his side of the glass.  After this, he checked the safety again and put the gun back in the slot and deposited it on your side.  Before you left, you asked the old man if he had any ear protection for you but he said it wasn’t needed at the gun range was made to absorb sound, making the shots quiet.  You thanked him and exited the room through the side door that led directly to the shooting range.

Hanzo was already at the shooting range when you got there.  To your surprise, he was drawing back the string on a bow and taking aim with an arrow.  It pretty much stopped you in your tracks as you stood and watched him take the shot with the ornate weapon.  His positioning was flawless, with his feet planted firmly as his wide shoulders stretched in order to draw back the bowstring.  You dwelled for a moment on the way the muscles in his arm flexed, but quickly averted your eyes in fear of getting caught staring.  He let the arrow go and it flew directly into the bullseye of the target.  You’d be lying if you said you weren’t impressed.

He turned to you and seemed at a loss for words as if he’d been caught doing something bad.  He even seemed a bit embarrassed.  You decided to take some of the pressure off.

“A bow and arrow?” you asked, as you chuckled.  “What year is this again?”

He huffed out a bit of laughter before replying.

“My father trains us in traditional weaponry,” he said.

“That’s cool,” you said taking aim down the range.  “Do you use conventional weapons at all?”

“Yes.  I know how to shoot a gun, if that’s what you’re asking.  I just prefer my bow in most situations,” he answered.  He seemed more relaxed than usual.

“Hm, interesting,” you finished.  You were somewhat nervous to fire your weapon because you weren’t exactly sure about the noise, but you took aim down the range and fired a round.  To your surprise, the weapon only let off a small pop instead of the normal bang of a gunshot.  Guess this range was as state-of-the-art as everything else in the compound.

You fired off more rounds as Hanzo let fly a few more arrows.  Your magazine emptied at just about the same time as his quiver and you wondered if he had planned it that way.  Hanzo turned to you abruptly and floundered for a moment.

“Would you like to get lunch with me?” Hanzo asked, the words rushing out of his mouth.  “Afterall, it’s almost noon and I could show you where to get food from in the kitchen so you don’t always have to eat alone in your room all the time.”

He finished off his stream of words by sheepishly reaching behind his head and holding the back of his neck before letting his arm flop unceremoniously to his side.

“Sure, if you want to,” you replied, still wanting to give him a bit of social wiggle room.  “Don’t feel like you have to be polite to me or anything.”

“Of course!” he exclaimed loudly before clearing his throat and trying to assume a more casual tone.  “Of course I’d be happy to take you.”

Your insides felt like fireworks at this.  He was so adorable when he got all flustered like that, even though it was probably bad for that big, manly heart of his.  You’d have to rile him up more often.

“Sounds like a date, then!” you replied, smiling up at him.  He visibly balked at your choice of words, but then smiled back down at you.   _Got him_ , you thought.  You laughed internally at how he reacted to your little tease.  “I’ll turn my pistol in and then we’ll meet by the exit?”

“Sounds good,” he said, sounding truly confident and engaged for the first time.  It made you happy.

**. . .**

You met Hanzo near the entrance of the training facility after you turned your pistol in.  

“Ready?” he asked as you approached, giving a hesitant smile at you.

“Yep,” you answered, giving him a small smile of your own.

Hanzo led you out of the training facility and into the hallway.  It seemed like this walk would be taken in silence just like most of the others.  This silence was more comfortable, though, and you were glad that Hanzo didn’t feel the need to interrupt with forced niceties.  The walk was quite short and you were in a cafeteria-like room within just a few minutes.  In true gentleman’s fashion, Hanzo pulled a chair out for you.  You thanked him as you sat down and then he disappeared through some swinging doors labeled “台所.”   _Kitchen_.

He returned a few moments later holding two trays of food.  He placed one tray in front of you and then sat down across from you with the other.  On the tray was rice topped with grilled fish, a bowl of miso, a small salad, and a bottle of water.  A small _itadakimasu_ left both of your mouths before you each pulled apart your chopsticks and dug in into the food.  You took a few bites of the salad before lifting the bowl of miso to your lips and sipping out of it.  You peeked out over the top of the bowl to catch Hanzo staring at you, his chopsticks nearly slipping out of his hands as if he had all but forgotten about them.  Just as you met his eye, he looked away from you, averting his eyes to a random point on the wall behind you.  You smiled as you lowered the bowl back to your tray.  The silence between you two had gained a bit of weight.  Hanzo wanted to talk to you but didn’t know what to say.  

“So, what do you do around here all day?”  you asked.

“Train, mostly, or do things for my father,” Hanzo replied.

“I meant, like, for fun,” you elaborated, laughing quietly at his expense.  “Do you ever go out?”

“Not a lot,” he said, timidly.  

“But Genji does,” you said.  “Why is that?  Do crowds make you feel weird or something?”

“It’s not that,” Hanzo replied much more calmly than you expected.  “Well maybe a little.  I’ve just never considered it important.”

“Maybe it’s not important, but it’s fun.  And doing fun things is important for a person, I think,” you said, trying to warm him up to the idea.

“Hm,” was all he said.

You took a few bites of the fish and rice and let silence fall over the table for a couple of minutes while the both of you ate.

“Look,” you said pointedly “I know you and your brother aren’t too fond of each other, but we should all hang out sometime.  I think he means well.”

“I don’t hate my brother.” Hanzo started. “In fact, it’s my concern for him that causes me to treat him so harshly.  It’s just that he choses to do things that I wouldn’t.”

“Well, I think we should change that,” you said mischievously as you grinned at him.

Hanzo looked suspiciously at you for a moment which made you laugh out loud at him for the first time.  This strangely sweet look came over Hanzo’s face.  Like he was tensing all his muscles to stop himself from skyrocketing right out of his chair.

Just then, doors at opposite ends of the cafeteria slammed open with a bang.  Your attention was abruptly pulled from Hanzo to find Shizune rushing in behind you and Genji running in behind his brother.

“Brother!” Genji called, nearly breaking into a sprint as he rose his arm in a spastic wave.

“Miss ___!” Shizune called to you.  She looked like she was trying to rush while still maintaining small, dainty footsteps and polite conduct.

Genji arrived at Hanzo’s back.

“What is it?” Hanzo asked, somewhat annoyed.

Genji held up his finger in a _wait a second_ gesture as he dramatically bent over and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath.  Hanzo rolled his eyes at this.

Just then, Shizune got to you.  She bowed deeply at each of the brothers and also seemed to be out of breath.

“Brother!” Genji announced once again as he gave Hanzo a hearty clap on the shoulder.  “You need to come with me!”

“What?  Why?” Hanzo asked, his patience thinning.

“It’s… important,” Genji answered, a hint of desperation in his tone.

Hanzo looked like he was about to start berating his brother when Shizune cut in.

“I need to take Miss ___ to get some measurements done!” she exclaimed.  It was very unlike her to be this assertive during a conversation, especially when the brothers were present.  Something was definitely up.

“Yes!” Genji cried.  “Your tailor needs to see you, Oniisan.  Right away!”

You heard Hanzo mutter something along the lines of _don’t call me that_ but he was quickly being pulled out of his chair by his brother.

“Come along, Miss ___!” Shizune insisted, ushering you away from the table.

You turned away from her a moment to find Hanzo looking over his shoulder at you.

“Bye!” you said unceremoniously before continuing.  “We should do this again, sometime.”

Hanzo stuttered for a moment before replying.

“Uh, yeah!”  he said as you were pulled out of the room by Shizune.

She had her arm looped with your own as she jogged down the hallway.

“What’s gotten into you?” you asked, still jogging along with the housemaid.

Once you were out of sight of the cafeteria, she slowed to a walk but still had a death grip on your arm.

“You acted so suspicious with Genji back there.  What’s the deal?” you questioned her again.

Shizune still didn’t reply but instead looked around as if checking that no one was near.  Then, she jerked you down a side hallway.

“This isn’t the way back to my room!” you exclaimed, tugging on her arm.

“Yeah, I know, we’re taking the long way,” Shizune answered.

“ _Why_?” you asked, your voice nearing a yell.

Shizune suddenly stopped and took both of your arms in her hands.

“Be quiet, sillyhead!” she scolded.  “You’re going to get us caught.”

“Well I just wanna kn-” you said before you were interrupted.

“I want you to explain what the hell happened with lover boy this morning,” Shizune said, giggling.

All you did was sigh in return.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling that all of you are going to like this chapter a lot! It's very Hanzo-centric!! ฅ(＾・ω・＾ฅ)
> 
> Also, I know that this chapter has taken a lot longer than the others. It seemed like every time I tried to write, I would type just a few sentences and then be too spaced out to continue. But I spent a lot of time these past two nights hammering away at it. This past week has been really weird and kind of ehhhh for me, personally. I'm taking two online classes this summer and trying to get my driver's license and I have to read three novels over the summer for lit class next year and I'm a water girl for my school's football team so I have to be at all the practices and I'm a competitive horseback rider. So basically, I don't have a ton of free time. And even when I do, I spend most of it passed out on my couch. Anyway, chapters may be coming out about every other week from no on. 
> 
> Regardless, I want to thank you all SO MUCH for the support this work has received! The comments I've been getting are phenomenal! <3


	4. Red

Shizune continued to lead you through a hallway into a part of the compound which you had never seen before.  

“Spill!” she exclaimed, wanting to know the details of the morning you had with Hanzo.

“What do you want to know?” you asked.

“Everything! All of it!,” she answered, positively buzzing.  “I want all the nitty gritty details!”

You sighed as you thought over what you did with Hanzo this morning.  What was she expecting?  This was only your second time meeting Hanzo and your relationship was purely for professional reasons only.

“Well,” you started, “We kind of talked a lot about Genji.”

Shizune’s eyes widened as she asked, “Really?”

“Yeah,” you responded.

“And Hanzo put up with it?” she asked again, looking even more surprised.

“Yeah,” you responded once more, laughing lightly at her googly-eyed expression. “Why?”

“That’s very bold of you, ___,” Shizune replied, looking away from you as if she were in thought.  “Hanzo isn’t exactly the sharing type.”

“I’ve gathered as much,” you said. “But it isn’t like we had a heart to heart or anything.  We just talked.”

“But still,” Shizune reasoned. “It seems like you were very straightforward about the whole thing.”

“Being straightforward is part of my job,” you explained soberly. “I don’t have time to read between the lines with people to protect their egos.  To me, it’s just another form of dishonesty and it could get someone hurt.”

“Of course,” she responded, looking downtrodden.

A little bit of an uncomfortable silence fell over the both of you.  Your heart stung because you felt like you had stepped on the younger girl’s moment.  However, what you had said was the truth.  You were here to do a job, not screw a crime lord’s son.  

“Come here,” Shizune said softly.

She led you off to the side into a dark, dead end hallway with a single door at the end.  A burst of cool mountain air hit your face you followed the maid out of the door and down some metal steps.  The stairs led to a small, grassy patch of land on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the slopes in Hanamura.  A bit of adrenaline shot down your spine and hit your stomach as you realized how high up you were and how easy it would be to plummet hundreds of feet to a rocky death.  Nonetheless, the view was breathtaking.  A small and somewhat gnarled cherry tree grew at the far end of the space, its roots reaching over the cliff face as they tried to find purchase in the rocky soil.  The tree was beautiful, regardless.  

“I come here to clear my head sometimes,” Shizune said, breaking the silence.  

“It’s amazing,” you said, simply and honestly.

The maid smiled at you, mischievously, “And it’s just out of view of the guards and security cameras.”

You smiled back down at her, noticing how the small space was surrounded by large tawny rocks.  However, the calm was short-lived as Shizune’s smile turned to a look of concern.

“Your job,” she started with a bit of hesitance.  “Is it difficult?”

“It kicks my ass sometimes, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” you stated truthfully.

“No, I mean…,” she trailed off. “The things you do.  The things you _have_ to do.  Committing crimes.  How do you take it?”

You didn’t know how to respond so you looked away from Shizune and cast your gaze to the mountain in the distance.  Sure, you had thought about these things before, even obsessed about them.  But it never made you feel any better or worse.  The girl’s question was honest, though, so you wanted to at least give her something.

You sighed.

“You just learn to live with it after a while,” you replied.  “Having this type of job and living this type of life were never goals of mine.  It certainly wasn’t what I dreamed about as a girl.”  
Shizune looked up at you with curious doe eyes, so you continued.

“I fell into organized crime.  I wish I could’ve been one of the good guys who pulled themselves out of it, but things didn’t pan out that way.  I wish I could say that there are people in my line of work who are far worse than me so by comparison what I do is fine. But in the end, all of these are just wishes that I cast upon the few stars I have left.  I try to do my work as truthfully as I can.  I’ve never been unnecessarily cruel to anyone and I always take the opportunity to be kind and forgiving.  I’m proud of those things.”

You turned to look at Shizune and she averted her eyes, with childlike bashfulness, as if she had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

You finished, “I try to find meaning where I can.”

A neutral silence blanketed the cliff, but you didn’t mind at all.  In fact, you felt immense relief at telling someone how you felt because it was a luxury that you didn’t get often.  So many of the people you knew had been in and out of your life within mere weeks.

“I should not have asked you that,” Shizune stated.  “It was way too private.  I’ve only known you for two days, after all.  I was just curious because the Shimadas have this whole criminal empire thing but I don’t know anything about it and I guess I just wanted to know how it fel-”

By this time, Shizune had gone from an honest apology to a nervous rant because she felt her question had offended you.

“It’s fine,” you said, honestly, cutting off her spew of words.  “It’s just like I said: you asked me a straightforward question and I gave you as honest of an answer as I could.  You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Both of you stayed still for a while, simply staring off into the brightly-lit distance.

“Come,” Shizune said, leading you up the stairs and back into the stale, metallic air of the compound.

You and the maid walked side by side toward your room when the young girl suddenly turned to you with twinkling eyes and a playful grin on her face.  It seemed as if nothing could keep her feeling down for long.

“I really hope Genji wasn’t the only thing you and Hanzo talked about on your _date_ ,” the maid giggled.

“It wasn’t a _date_ , you goof,” you teased back at the younger girl.

Or, at least, you didn’t _think_ it was a date.

“Ugh, it totally was.  Don’t even try to pretend,” Shizune said again, still giggling.

“Well on our _date_ ,” you started. “I did try to talk him into getting out a little more.”

Shizune visibly perked up at this, “Aha!  Maybe this means there will be dates in the future.”

You scoffed.  

You attention was momentarily drawn away from the bubbly girl beside you when your eyes fell upon a door that was slightly cracked open.  A vibrant sliver of bright red and pure gold had caught your eye as it contrasted with your barren surroundings.  Inside the room, there was a reclining woman robed in an extremely ornate blood red kimono, her hair done up in a complicated fashion.  All around her, maids rushed to and fro, gathering different items and materials.  However, the woman stayed completely still with her eyes closed serenely.  Just as you were about to be out of view of the room, the woman opened her eyes.  The woman made eye contact with you at the last second, her eyes half-lidded.  Despite her tranquil expression, you could tell she was measuring you with her gaze.  The warm hazel of her regard had leveled you.

Your eyes once again fell onto the plain gray slate of the walls of the compound.  After what you had just witnessed, the blankness created a slightly jarring contradiction.  It reminded you of the feeling of having a hovertrain rush past you as you stood far too close to the edge of the platform.

Shizune pulled you back to reality as she grabbed both of your hands in her own and turned them palm up.

“Let’s read your palm!” she squealed. “Maybe your heartline will reveal if there is love in the near future for you!”

Her small fingers traveled lightly over the creases in your palm.  However, she quickly let your hands drop down to your sides as she began to spew on and on about other ways to determine your fate.  Were the planets aligned?  What was your blood type?  Did you still have your tea leaves from this morning?  What was your star sign?

She seemed to be enjoying herself, so you let her be.  Listening to her stream of thoughts helped make the walk back to your room seem shorter and you were back to your door before you knew it.

“You should think about it, though, ___.” Shizune told you, not wanting to give up on you and Hanzo quite yet.

“Listen, I’m not denying that Hanzo is attractive or anything,” you started. “I’m just saying that a relationship between us wouldn’t be a good situation.”

You paused before continuing, ”Maybe if things were different.”

Shizune seemed satisfied with this answer, so she said her goodbyes and left you to go to your room.  The day was barely halfway over but had mentally exhausted you so far.  You flopped down on your bed, an action that seemed to be increasingly common these days, and thought over everything.  The somewhat terrifyingly good weapons department at Shimada Castle.  Your not-date-but-everyone-thought-it-was with Hanzo.  The heart to heart on a cliff with Shizune.  The woman.  

Your head spun at the thought of all of this.

The moment of eye contact with the woman had had the strangest effect on you.  Her eyes immediately opened to make contact with your own, as if she had sensed your presence.  The whole situation seemed almost voyeuristic, like you were encroaching on an intimate moment.  It all seemed to happen so fast but the amount of regal strength radiating off of the woman had made sure the encounter was cemented in your mind with vivid detail.  Who was she?

You made a weak attempt at falling asleep, but after several minutes of tossing and turning you decided that you would have to physically work off your jitters.  So, you pulled yourself from your bed and walked over to your closet where you changed into a tank top and leggings and laced up your sneakers.

**. . .**

The brisk walk you took to the training area had served as a short warm up for you.  You made your way to the second floor room where the treadmills were.  You did some quick stretches before hopping onto the machine and starting your jog.  The rhythm of your steps and breaths put your mind at ease.

Your peace was interrupted as you heard a whistle come from the entrance of the room.

“Damn, girl,” said a voice that couldn’t belong to anyone except the youngest Shimada. “You’re getting your sweat on!”

You looked down at the screen on the treadmill.  It showed that you were only a mile into your three mile run, but you felt like talking to Genji.  Maybe his joking nature could clear up your foggy, detached mood.  Afterall, Shizune’s lightheartedness has been the only thing that’s been able to put you in a better frame of mind.

When you stepped off the treadmill, Genji was waiting with a bottle of water, a towel, and a smile for you.  You wiped your face off with the towel before draping it across the back of your neck and taking the water from Genji.  Then, you took a few big gulps from the water bottle.  Genji’s smile turned into a shit-eating grin as he watched you drink the water.

“What?” you asked, not understanding what had suddenly become funny to him.

“Oh nothing,” he said with feigned nonchalance. “It’s just that I thought you looked a little _thirsty_ after your date with Hanzo today.”

You rolled your eyes, “Oh my god.”

You sidestepped past the youngest Shimada who was acting like what he just said was somehow original or even funny.  

“Don’t act like you haven’t at least thought about it,” Genji said.

“Thought about _what_ exactly?” you asked sarcastically.

“Don’t be difficult, ___,” Genji started. “Our dear Hanzo is a dashingly handsome lad with a dark past and a wealthy family.  How would that not appeal to a girl like you?”

You visibly straightened at this, your eyebrows knitted together.

“What do you mean ‘a girl like me?’” you asked.  Just because you worked for his father didn’t mean you were some kind of shady street trash.  You were a professional.

“That’s not what I meant,” Genji rebutted.

You were about to protest but the boy kept on talking so you let it go.

“I mean, why would a girl ask a boy to have lunch with her other than because she likes him?” Genji asked, pacing the room with his hand to his chin like he was some wise philosopher.

You gestured incredulously at him, “Maybe because they will be working together and she wants to get to know him a little better before they’re having guns pointed at them?”

“Ugh, but that’s so boring,” Genji complained with boyish annoyance

“Well, work is boring,” you stated. “And the only reason I’m here is to work.”

The youngest Shimada groaned loudly which caused you to roll your eyes in irritation.

“I was expecting this conversation to go differently,” he sighed.

“How were you expecting it to go?” you asked, curious to know a little bit about how the gears in his head turned.

“I was expecting it to go a little more like the conversation I had with my brother after your little lunch date,” he said, glancing at you.

This had caught your attention, but you tried not to let it show.

“And how did that go?” you asked, keeping your tone neutral.

“A little more open-minded than this one,” he started. “I would have expected you to warm up to the idea of getting with my brother by now.”

This caught you completely off guard.  Had Hanzo really been open to the possibility of pursuing you?  Your heart lurched at this question, but you forced yourself to relax.  

 _I’m here for work.  And work only._ Is what you told yourself.  It seemed like you had been telling yourself this a lot lately.

“Yeah, right,” you told Genji with contempt. “Why are you so concerned about your brother’s relationships anyway?”

“I just want him to have a life outside of the family,” Genji started. “He’s always been such a rule follower.  I try to talk to him about the girls we meet, but usually he doesn’t budge on account of his _honor and privilege._ ”

The last two words of Genji’s explanation were spoken in a way that mocked Hanzo’s deep voice.

You paused for a moment, “So you’re saying he budged this time?”

Genji shrugged, “It depends on what  you count as budging.  Usually he’ll yell at me to go away, but this time he just sighed and kept on listening.”

“Sounds little bit like you’re grasping at straws,” you replied snidely.

“Maybe so,” the young man responded, without breaking his confidant tone.

Just then, your watch pinged.  You read the notification and it alerted you to a message that you had to take immediately.

You looked up towards Genji, “I have important business to attend to.”

“Of course, of course,” he said, putting his hands up in mock defense. “ _Important business.”_

You shook your head at him and exited the training room, throwing your towel in a dirty clothes bin on the way out.  You tried to make the walk back to your room as quick as possible, as you were excited that this message might hold the instructions to your first mission in Hanamura.  when  you opened the door to your room, you saw that the screen of your computer displayed a notification saying you had received correspondence from Sojiro.  

The message read as followed:

 

 

> _Dear ___,_
> 
> _I sincerely hope you have been settling in well here at Shimada castle.  However, I have your first assignment.  One of the rival families in Hanamura, Mizutama, has started receiving larger weapons deliveries more often than normal.  I want you to look into it as I believe your skills will be well-suited to the task.  Hanzo, Genji, and a squad of Shimada mercenaries will be accompanying you.  Report to the main terminal (south) at twenty-one hundred hours on August 19th.  More mission details, a map of the Mizutama compound, and further intel will be sent to you upon your response to this message.  We look forward to working with you._
> 
> _-Sojiro Shimada & Clan _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this update took forever and it's and emotional roller coaster sorry


	5. Mizutama

Jitters rose up in your stomach as you made your way to the main terminal.  This would be your first mission with the Shimadas and you didn’t exactly know what to expect, especially from the brothers.  Would they actually have skill in battle or would they be two rich kids playing soldier for their dad?  You wondered if Hanzo would be wielding that ridiculous bow.  Or if he would tie back those ridiculous emo bangs.  They seemed like a safety hazard.  Ha.

The numbers on your watch changed to _9:00_ just as you rounded the corner into the main terminal, where all of the mission personnel were waiting.  Men in dark uniforms tapped on their holovids as they stood next to large metal cases that you assumed were full of weapons.  You nodded to the brothers as you approached, Genji sending a grin your way and Hanzo simply nodding in return.  Both of them were dressed in the somewhat gaudy orange and white apparel of the clan.  Leave it up to a rich mob family to make their agents look like walking billboards on a mission.

Men from the weapons department starting handing out equipment to everyone.  You received your handgun, some ammunition, and your small bag of tools, which you clipped to the back of your belt.  Surprisingly, Genji was given a set of blades which he strapped to his back and some sort of wrist holster that held shuriken.  Genji’s weapons just might top Hanzo’s in terms of absolute ridiculousness.  There was no way that swords, shuriken, or a bow and arrow could have any impact in a real fight against conventional weaponry.  

Hanzo stepped up next and received his ever-impressive bow.  It was made of a rich cherry wood that was trimmed in silver, with a Shimada-orange ribbon and jade dragon figure adorning it.  Even though using a bow was totally asinine in your opinion, the whole thing screamed Hanzo Shimada, future crime lord and was quite fitting for him.  All criticism aside, it was hard to ignore how his big hands wrapped firmly around the large bow.

“Alright, everyone,” said a uniformed man. “This isn’t a difficult mission, so the results should be in our favor.  We want to get in and…”

Soon, the man’s monotone voice became background noise to you as your thoughts drifted off.  If you had a dollar for every lecture you got before a supposedly easy mission, you probably wouldn’t have to be a criminal anymore.  Missions were rarely perfect, even if they were just quick in-and-outs to gather information.  And with these wannabe samurai buffoons- who knew.

You were alerted to the end of the man’s droning as everyone started moving towards the open garage door at the end of the concrete terminal.  Waiting just outside of the terminal door were two large, black hovercars with blacked out windows.  You followed the brothers as you and a few Shimada mercenaries piled into the back of the van.  Hanzo, always the polite one, gestured for you to go ahead of him.  Because of this, you were sandwiched between both of the brothers on the bench-style seat with four mercenaries across from you.  The rest of the mercenaries had climbed into the other van.  

The short ride was nearly all silent.  Genji made a few quips and attempted to make some conversation but nothing ever came of it.  The mercenaries were stone-faced and silent while Hanzo was just being his normal, hushed self.  He sat rigidly next to you with his bow upright on the floor resting between his legs.  When you accidentally brushed knees or elbows with him, he stiffened even more and shrunk away, which was hilariously entertaining to you.  If not for the lack of space, this seemed like one of those situations where he would reach up to hold the back of his neck.  After a while, the small bumps you made against him weren’t accidental.

Just as you were getting comfortable, the vans pulled over on the curb and you were ushered out.  You knew from the mission intel that the vans would only take you to the other side of Hanamura, but you and the rest of the team were to approach the Mizutama compound on foot.  As soon as your feet hit the ground, you were off.  The team ran swiftly but silently into an alley as the vans tore off in the other direction.  You followed the brothers and the mercenaries as they cut through alleys and weaved their way through the city.  Finding your way would be hopeless if you ever got separated from them.

Just then, you found yourself with a face full of fabric as you ran square into Hanzo’s wide back as he and the rest of the team had stopped suddenly at the end of an alley.  He turned his body to you, but his face stayed looking forward with a concentrated expression as he scoped out the rooftops of the Mizutama compound.  His arm reached around you and he gently pressed on your lower back as if urging you to the center of the group.  Your mind buzzed with white noise as you stumbled slightly into the group of men.  This wasn’t like him.  For the first time, he wasn’t acting like a stupid schoolboy around you and he was so preoccupied with the mission that he hadn’t even said anything as he placed his hand on your back.  It was if he did it by instinct.  You shook your head to clear your thoughts but the warm, unsure feeling still rested beneath your ribs, tickling your insides.  What the hell.

The team moved out from the alleyway and began scaling a rock wall that served as a barrier for one side of the Mizutama compound.  Your hands stung slightly as you ascended the steep rock face.  This wasn’t like the smooth, round stone that surrounded the Shimada compound.  This shelf of dark red rock was full of innumerable small holes and there seemed to be a sharp angle or scraggly edge wherever you tried to place your hand.  However, Hanzo and Genji didn’t seem fazed by this at all and had scaled the wall in less than five minutes.  The mercenaries reached the top second and you were last, trying halfheartedly to hide how out of breath you were by the seemingly short climb.  

The team paused on the rock ledge to make all the last minute checks to supplies and plans.  It was then that you were hit with the scent of salt on a gust of chilly night wind.  To your left the ocean that bordered the southern end of Hanamura was crashing and swirling tumultuously against the pointy outcroppings of the same rock you had climbed up on.  Just like when you had been on the cliff with Shizune at Shimada castle, your stomach started to jump at the thought of how high up the ledge was.  However, you didn’t have any longer to panic as it was time for the teams to start moving out.

There would be three small teams of five on the mission, each comprised of four mercenaries and one of either you or the brothers.  Hanzo’s team would stay outside the building and hold the perimeter, while you and Genji went inside the compound.  Your team would be entering the southernmost wing of the building in order for you to have the clearest shot to the room which held the data processors and computers.  Genji’s team would enter on the other side of the southern wing, clearing it of any guards before meeting you in the data storage room.  It was hoped that you wouldn’t encounter anyone as this part of the facility was mostly used for storage, but you could use force if need be.  After gathering the info you needed, you would then rendezvous just outside the building and escape on the southwestern end of the compound, nearly opposite of where you had come in.  All of this was, of course, only what would happen if things went according to plan.  They rarely did.

Your and Genji’s teams began to head down a small footpath that was little more than a small crevice between the rocks.  Before you could get far, you heard a small good luck being uttered behind you.  You craned your neck to look over your shoulder and found Hanzo peering at you bashfully from his perch atop the rock.  You smiled at him, not feeling a need for words, and he smiled back.

“Come on, princess!” Genji whisper-yelled from further down the path.

Your gaze was torn from Hanzo’s as you turned in the direction that Genji’s voice had come from.  

“Duty calls,” you sighed lightly at Hanzo.

He gave a knowing nod, his expression unusually serene for being on a mission.

The narrow passageway led you to the ground surrounding the compound.  The teams got into formation and you took off, running low to the ground.  A familiar spark of adrenaline, which came with starting every mission, shot up your spine.  It was accompanied by the fleeting, yet impactful thought of _this is real.  All of this is very real and I’m actually here_.  Despite not knowing any other lifestyle than that of crime, you could never quite shake that strange, unsettling feeling that rose up in you.  But now, you used it to draw sharp focus to what was happening around you instead of letting it make you feel unsure of yourself.

The sound of sparse, sun dried grass crunching underfoot brought you back to reality.  You halted both teams before they got in range of the security camera mounted outside the door.  Then, you ran towards the side of the building, still out of sight of any cameras.  You came to a small, metal box mounted box on the side of the building which housed the master power board for the surveillance system.  You reached into the pack hooked to your belt and pulled out a small, homemade device which you stuck to the metal box.  This would scramble the stored footage and put the cameras on a loop.

Next, You ran silently towards the door and looked at the touchpad beside it, racking your mind for the details of the mission intel.  It was a pressure-sensitive pad, as you had expected.  This meant that you could detach the face of the touchpad but couldn’t allow it to move away too much from the internal mechanisms, lest they detect the loss of pressure and send out a signal that the touchpad had been damaged.  All of this was pretty standard procedure, and it didn’t even frighten you anymore.  You were just anxious to get the whole thing done with.

Before you detached the screen, you reached into your bag and took out a small, hook-shaped piece of metal that resembled little more than a bent bobby pin.  You also took out a small, flat-head screwdriver.  While you went to work on removing the faceplate from the touchpad, you mentally calmed yourself.  You were a professional at this stuff, and there was no reason to get worked up.  Besides, gang families were never known for being super high-tech or sophisticated.  For all the airs these people put on, any skeezy kid with half a brain and access to the deep web could probably trip the system without immediately getting caught.

 You loosened all the screws on the touchpad by using the screwdriver, but didn’t remove them completely, keeping your palm flat on the screen as to not let off pressure.  You also wedged the flat head of the screwdriver between the faceplate and the body of the touchpad in order to expose what was inside.  When you started to see wires, you pushed the hooked piece of metal into the inside of the touchpad, careful to avoid any wires.  Within just a few seconds, you had tripped the entry system in the touchpad and the door was sliding open with a hiss.  Easy.

You gave the all-clear signal to Genji and the mercenaries.  You internally let out a sigh of relief.  It was expected that breaking in would be the most complicated and labor-intensive part of the mission.  Expected being the key word.  You looked at Genji one last time before his team split off from yours.  As he caught your gaze, he winked.  Typical.  You rolled your eyes, but the gesture was strangely comforting.  It seemed as though you had become accustomed to his playful attitude.

Your team continued down the hallway, as Genji and his own group of mercenaries disappeared from sight.  Luckily, you didn’t face any obstacles in the compound and you were in the data storage room within minutes.  Once there, you weaved through the rows of data towers until you found the master computer.  As you booted up the system, you pulled a small flash drive-like device out of the pouch at your waist, which you plugged into the computer.  

The image on the monitor changed from a normal startup screen to a black one with codes streaming across it at neck-break speeds.  Now all there was to do was wait.  Most of the work you did was very behind the scenes.  Hacking often seemed like a simple process when you actually did it, but what others couldn’t see were the countless hours you put into building devices and coding software.  It had taken you years of unpaid, self-motivated labor to even get to the point of actual hacking.  And even then, there was an immense amount of trial and error that came with its own risks.

A slight, almost undetectable, vibration in the ground pulled you from your reverie.  Your eyes darted over to the group of mercenaries guarding the door, but they were already speaking through their wrist coms to Genji’s team.  It seemed that the small disturbance had put them on edge.  Truthfully, it also made you feel a bit unsettled as well.

One of the mercenaries turned to you, “Don’t worry, miss.  Genji’s team is fine and the south wing is secure.  They’re on their way now.”

You nodded at him but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.  The grunt had said that the south wing was secure, and while this did put a lot of space between you and any trouble, it didn’t mean that the compound was fully free from problems.

Like clockwork, alarms blared to life all around you, red emergency lights flashing wildly.

Christ, it sucked being right all the time.

Before anyone had any time to react, Genji and his team burst through the door.

“I don’t know what triggered it, but we don't have much time,” the youngest Shimada spat out.

The mercenaries looked ready to run out of the building, but you weren’t going to throw in the towel just yet.  After all, your device had only combed through a little over half of the data.

Genji yelled over the sound of the alarms, “What are you waiting for, princess?”

“I’m not done yet,” you replied just as loudly. “If we leave now all of this will be a waste!”

Genji gave you the most dramatic, incredulous look.

You rolled your eyes, “Stop that or your face will get stuck that way!”

“We don’t have time for this!” Genji shouted, marching childishly towards you.  “We’re about to get busted!”

You shook your head, “That’s the thing.  I don’t think they know we’re here.”

Genji gave you that same stupid look, gesturing to the lights and sounds around you.

“No offense,” you began. “But I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have.  And I’ve been in worse shit than this.”

Genji sighed, but retreated to wait with the guards near the door.  A small _79%_ was displayed on the flashdrive.  It would only need a few more minutes now.

Just then yelling was heard down the hall.  Great.

“We have company,” Genji called, sounding testy.

You sighed loudly, beginning to get frustrated, “I’m aware!”

“Well?”

“I need just a little more time!”

_88%_

The youngest Shimada groaned dramatically.  He was being, literally, a royal pain in your ass right now.  

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, two Mizutama grunts shoved through the door and all but tumbled into the data room.  However, they looked surprised to see you there and they didn’t even have their weapons drawn.  Before amy of the Shimada mercenaires could put bullets through their wide-eyed faces, you ran up to them.

“Don’t shoot!” you called to the mercenaries.

They looked confused at the order but complied nonetheless.

You further approached the two Mizutama troops, questioning, “What’s going on out there?”

Neither of them answered immediately, looking like they had seen a ghost.

“It’s okay,” you began, trying to soothe them.  “Those sure as hell aren’t our allies who, I’m guessing, blew through your gates and triggered the alarm.  Believe me, we’re in the same boat here.”

All of a sudden, a sour look came over one of the grunt’s faces, “We’re not telling you anything, bitch.”

Before he could waste anymore of your time, your trusty handgun was unholstered, the butt meeting his temple with a dull thud.  He dropped to the floor, knocked out cold.

You turned your burning gaze on the other, still conscious, Mizutama miscreant, cocking your gun, “Do you people still believe in death before dishonor?”

“I’ll tell you anything,” the man choked out, beads of sweat collecting along his hairline.  “As long as you get me out of here.  I promise I won’t rat you out.  I’ve got a girlfriend and a kid and I just want-”

“Fine,” you interrupted, your watch alerting you to the completion of the data comb.  “Just tell me who our unwanted guests are.”

“I don’t know,” he began.

The acid in your glare became ten times more potent, and you were just about ready to pistol whip this idiot into last week when he began to plead.

“Wait!” he cried, his hands flying up to cover his head. “I don’t know exactly who it is, but I can tell you that they’re no fucking joke.  It’s not a rival gang family, I don’t even think it’s local law enforcement.”

“Continue,” you sneered calmly as you made your way across the room to retrieve your data from the computer.

“This is a major breach,” the grunt said, seeming to finally catch his breath.

You scoffed.  No shit it was a major breach.  They were being screwed from both ends.

“This will be bad for all the crime families,” he said, piquing Genji’s interest.  “I think we may have been targeted by the Japanese government.”

After you had retrieved the data and shut down the system, you left the room and the others followed you into the hallway at a fast walk.

“If it was the Japanese government, then they’re trying to declare all-out war on the gangs.  They had armored vehicles and hovercrafts and dozens of fully-uniformed soldiers with lots and lots of very big guns,” the Mizutama troop said, following beside you.

You set your jaw firmly, “Did you see their uniforms?”

What on earth had you gotten yourself into?

“No,” he sighed. “It was too dark.  And I ran.”

You could see the exit where the rendezvous point was.  It was impossible to hold back the small bit of relief that flooded through you.  However, the playing field had changed considerably and you had no idea what to expect on the other side of that door.

“Worst case scenario?” you asked the grunt, glancing down at him.

A look resembling that of terror passed through his eyes, “International involvement.  INTERPOL.  Or the UN.  And whatever freaks they’re working with these days.”

You sighed, stopping just before the door and hugging close to the wall.  One of the Shimada mercenaries busted through the door, his gun at the ready, looking for any enemies that might be stationed outside.  Luckily, there were none and you continued on towards the rendezvous point.  

Your hand shot out and gripped the arm of the Mizutama grunt hard enough to leave a bruise.  You held him in place with you as the rest of the team continued on ahead.

“You’ve been a great help to me today,” you said calmly as you made concrete eye contact with the mercenary, looking for any signs of deceit.

He nodded frantically, anxious to remove himself from the premises.

“You will get out of here.  You will forget that you ever saw any of this.  Forget that you saw me.  You will go home to you girlfriend and your kid, lest I have to familiarize myself with either of them,” you said lowly.

He panicked at this, squirming in your grip.

“Do you understand?” you asked.

He nodded frantically again.

“Say it.”

“I understand!”

You threw his arm from your grip.

“Don’t ever let my name be in your mouth, クズ.”

Trash.

He ran clumsily into the night, towards the opposite side of the compound.

You sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time that night.  For all the trouble you had gone through for this mission, you still had to find a way out of it all.

“Let’s go, princess!”

**. . .**

You ran towards Genji’s voice and found that he was near the rendezvous point along with Hanzo.  However, the Shimada mercenaries were nowhere to be found.

Your brow creased in confusion, “What’s going on?”

“The guys went to secure our ride out of here,” Genji started. “But there’s been a change of plans.”

“We have to take an alternate route to our destination,” Hanzo cut in. “But we must move swiftly.”

You nodded reluctantly but followed him nonetheless as Genji trailed behind you.  Hanzo ran towards the cliff the bordered the southern end of Mizutama land, and just as you were about to say something, he disappeared over the edge.  Your heart leapt up into your throat.  Did he really just… jump off of a cliff?  Genji kept running ahead of you in the direction of the cliff, while your feet stayed planted on the hard ground.

“Come on,” Genji said.

You followed him close to the edge, forcing yourself to peer over it.  Much to your chagrin, Hanzo stood unscathed on a shelf of rock that couldn’t be more than ten feet below where you thought the cliff ended.  An internal sigh of relief shuddered through you as Genji carefully lowered himself over the edge and landed next to Hanzo.  

Hanzo held his arms up to you, “Here.”

You cautiously lowered yourself over the edge a leg at a time before you were hanging by just your arms.  Finally mustering up the courage, you pulled your arms away from the edge and fell safely next to the Shimada brothers.  Hanzo’s hands around your waist helped to lessen the blow.  Ahead of you was an almost comically narrow path overlooking a deadly drop into the ocean.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you said.

Hanzo looked to you, “It’s our best shot.  I wouldn’t take you here if I didn’t think it would work.”

Of course he wouldn’t.  But it was still ridiculous.  It was ridiculous like his bow and his hair.

Hanzo led the way down the rocky path.  In the short time you had been in the Mizutama compound, the weather had taken a turn for the worse.  The wind whipped wildly around you and the sea roared, it’s waves crashing against the rocky bluff.  None of this improved your mood about following two bullheaded young men down a small path on a cliff.

A few minutes later, Hanzo stopped suddenly in front of you, almost causing you to run into his back for the second time tonight.  Although this time it would’ve turned out more deadly than endearing.

“I think we should turn back,” he said resolutely.

“Why would we do that?” Genji asked incredulously. “We’re already halfway there.  There’s no point in turning back now.”

“The weather is getting increasingly worse,” the eldest Shimada explained. “When we get close to the bottom of the cliff, the water may be too high to pass.”

Genji replied childishly, “No it won’t!  We have to keep going!”

Hanzo scoffed in return, “This is so typical!  You always want to run headfirst into things without thinking about the consequences of your actions.”

You really didn’t have the time nor the patience for this.  Your wet clothes stuck to your body, and you felt the weight of them deep in your bones as you shivered from the cold water.

“At least I can think for myself instead of doing the bidding of others.  The bidding of criminals!” Genji yelled in return.

“Don’t talk about our family like that!” Hanzo shouted over the noise of the now raging storm. “Father was right about you!”

Genji’s face morphed into a theatrical look of utter betrayal.  If this wasn’t taking place on the edge of a cliff during what was gearing up to be a violent tempest, you probably would’ve laughed at him.  The youngest Shimada was screaming something at his brother that you didn’t quite catch due to the crack of thunder that rolled across the sky.  At this point, the argument had been reduced to a screaming match, most of which took place in Japanese that went over your head.  

There were so many things going on around you that you began to be overwhelmed.  When you left the compound, you had traded the blaring siren for roaring thunder overhead, causing you to rack up quite the headache.  The lightning flashing in the dark sky certainly didn’t help either.  Your nails dug into your palms, nearly drawing blood.  Not to mention all of the water.  There was cold rain pouring endlessly from above, positively soaking the three of you.  The fat rain drops pitter-pattered onto your aching head in a way that felt like you were being pelted with nuts and bolts.  There was water below you, too.  An entire ocean of it to be exact.  The waves would occasionally slap onto the rocks below you, pelting you with even more drops.  

Drowning.

You were drowning.

“ _Enough_!” you screamed, at your wit’s end.

Both of the brothers fell silent, and the only sounds to be heard were those of the storm.

“Genji is right,” you started, glaring at the youngest Shimada when he let out a small Ha! behind you. “What happens if we go back?  We would have to face off against federal and maybe even global forces.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened at this.  Apparently he wasn’t filled in on the situation going on in the Mizutama compound.  

“The more time we spend here arguing, the worse the storm gets and the worse our chances of escape become,” you continued. “We can’t fight our way out of this one.”

The eldest Shimada looked down, weighing his options before closing his eyes and sighing.  

“You’re right,” he said. “We’ll keep moving.”

You nodded at him as your teeth chattered.  Hanzo led you and Genji the rest of the way down the pathway on the cliff.  When you got to the bottom, you had to walk through a few feet of stirring ocean water, which was mildly terrifying.  It sure beat being arrested, though.  Much to your surprise, the mercenaries were waiting not far from the end of the path and ushered you into the black hovercars once more.  You felt immense relief at getting out of the situation safely.  But it was a close call.  Too close, in your opinion.  

Just as you were about to lean your head back and close your eyes, Hanzo held something out in front of you.  It was a heavy coat that must have been stored somewhere in the vehicle.  Before you could protest, Hanzo already had one of his large and surprisingly warm hands on your back, urging you to lean forward.  You complied, and he slipped the garment over your shoulders.  You thanked him quietly, and as a warm feeling rose in your body, you simply chalked it up to the effects of the thick coat.  Yeah, it was definitely the coat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest with you, reader. I feel like my last two chapters, especially chapter 4, haven't been my best work. They're mostly dialogue and I feel like the writing was really lazy. Of course, not every chapter is going to be full of action. And a lot of chapters, especially at the beginning of the story, are going to be for establishing characters and relationships. However, I feel like chapter 5 matches my vision of what the story should be like, writing wise. I know it's been almost a month since the last update, but hopefully the quality and length of the chapter makes it up to you. (I also took a week-long vacation with my family so I tried to refrain from writing, heh.) As always, thank you for the awesome comments and all of the kudos. xoxo


	6. Alliance

The constant aching deep in your bones was the only thing reminding you that your body hadn’t been washed away into the ocean during the previous night. You rolled over in bed and looked at your watch.  
7:59.  
Your mind roiled softly over and over with the numb emptiness of morning. The blankets on your bed coiled around your legs, reminding you of the writhing ocean that had been nipping at your toes just a few hours earlier. Deep in your stomach you still felt the rolling of the waves and the thought of peering over the edge of that cliff and into the dark ocean had your throat tightening. Last night had been way too close. You shouldn’t have let either of those Mizutama grunts live.  
8:00.  
A brisk knocking at your bedroom door ripped you from your thoughts. You stiffly rose from your bed with your blanket wrapped unceremoniously around your shoulders. Shizune’s smiling face shone brightly from across the threshold to your room. A tray of breakfast sat in the maid’s arms and you looked down at it. Frankly, the mere thought of eating made your stomach churn.  
You groaned and turned away from Shizune.  
“Oh, don’t start that,” said the young maid, chiding you lightly as she walked into your room and set the tray down on your desk.  
You gave a mildly disdainful sidelong glance from across the room to the tray of food.  
“Eat.” The command came from Shizune’s petite body as she planted her tiny fists onto her hips.  
You sighed and slid into the chair, deciding to attempt to stomach a plain piece of toast.  
“How did things go last night?” Shizune asked, her eyebrows knitting up slightly. She seemed genuinely concerned due to the uncharacteristically stubborn attitude that had fallen over you.  
“Okay,” you replied flatly.  
“I see,” she said in return.  
All of a sudden, a sullen feeling fell over you. You wished you could tell her what had actually happened. You wished you could tell her how the whole thing had ended up going to hell. How you had gotten what you went for but the whole situation had spiraled out of control and now you were all potentially at risk. No one had anticipated the authorities getting involved. Who exactly had intervened last night was still a mystery to you and you wanted to share that with her. Shizune was your friend. You wished you could tell her how the icy fear of uncertainty that gripped you last night as you jumped over the edge of that cliff still hadn’t completely untangled itself from your insides.  
“Well, I’ll let you rest some more,” Shizune said cooly, breaking the ugly silence that had ensued. Her eyes grappled with yours curiously, as if she knew you were withholding something from her. Nonetheless, she bowed formally before leaving your room.  
The click of your door closing seemed to seal you off from the rest of the world as a heavy blanket of silence fell over your room. Your breakfast had gone cold by now, but it didn’t matter. You stood up, not moving from where you were. You got the strange sensation that your entire world had become two-dimensional. Flat and lifeless and devoid of color. It seemed as though you were a face on a poker card and you could simply slip behind something and disappear completely, lost in the shuffle.  
Trying to shake the feeling, you laid down on your bed and slipped silently beneath the covers. Maybe sleeping off your exhaustion would help. As you stretched your legs out, your feet hit something heavier than your blankets at the foot of your bed. You leaned up on your elbows and peered down at your blankets. The heavy black jacket that Hanzo had draped over your shoulders was folded near the end of your bed.

. . .

Sojiro Shimada leaned stock-still over a table in the war room at Shimada castle, awaiting the arrival of his two sons. The man looked up from where he was staring down at a holoscreen, his arms spread wide with his hands supporting his weight on the edge of the table, when he heard the swoosh of the door opening. Hanzo walked into the room, moving silently as always.  
“Father,” Hanzo greets the elder man with a curt nod.  
“Where is your brother?” Sojiro asked immediately, not acknowledging his eldest son’s presence.  
“I do not know,” the younger man replied plainly. Was Hanzo his brother’s keeper?  
Sojiro simply gave a strained sigh for an answer. A few moments of heavy silence ensued.  
“The girl,” Sojiro hissed suddenly, his hands tightening their grip on the edge of the table.  
Hanzo immediately snapped to attention, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, “What about her?” The young man tried to hide his hesitation. He didn’t want you to be another person his father used to his advantage and cast aside once he was done with you. You deserved better, that much Hanzo was sure of.  
“What was she doing when our whole operation fell apart?” Sojiro inquired suspiciously.  
“Her job,” Hanzo replied shortly, his tone uncharacteristically harsh.  
“Obviously. Is she to be suspected?”  
“No! She is good and she is true. What reason on earth would she have to deceive us?”  
“You talk like you know her, boy! Have you forgotten why she is here? We paid her! She is no different from the sell-out scum found in back alleys all over this city!”  
Hanzo’s face scrunched in incredulity. He took a deep breath like he was about to say something back but was interrupted by the opening of the door. Genji strolled in, trying his best to look inconspicuous. His best wasn’t very good.  
“I am not even going to ask where you have been!” Sojiro began, berating his younger son. “You disappoint me!”  
Genji didn’t reply, but raised his gaze to meet that of his father. The pair shared a pointed look, but eventually Sojiro looked toward his eldest son.  
“Who do you think it was last night?”  
Hanzo glanced down in thought, his arms crossed in front of him. “It was clearly someone who knew what they were doing. I do not think we should take this threat lightly.”  
“Agreed,” Sojiro said. “What should our next move be, Genji?”  
The younger brother was slightly caught off guard by being acknowledged by his father. Genji uncrossed his arms and stood up straight from his position leaning on the wall. “I think that we should consult with another gang.”  
Sojiro’s face dropped from its usual composure, “Absolutely not! Have you forgotten who we are? How we came to be? There is no way we can trust a rival family at a time like this! I truly thought you had grown past disrespecting me to my face, my foolish son!”  
Genji rolled his eyes slightly, but chose not to say anything in return. Trying to reason with his father would be futile.  
Before the conversation could become even more venomous, Hanzo spoke up. “He has a point, father.”  
“Go on,” Sojiro said sceptically, a hand on his bearded chin.  
“We know this definitely isn’t a rival family. We know that this enemy is operating legally and isn’t afraid to face us head on. If we worked together with another family, it could be a mutually beneficial relationship, as we would have a common enemy.”  
A look of slight surprise passed over Genji’s face before it morphed to a look of smug satisfaction, which the young man tried to hide.  
“I suppose that’s true,” Sojiro hummed. “We must be careful, though. I will assemble a list of families that I would consider working with.”  
Hanzo nodded.  
“If you truly trust that thug of yours,” Sojiro continued, “Then have her carefully research each of the families on the list and make a report for me. We will go from there. It is safest to lay low for now.”

. . .

You scrolled aimlessly through some of the info you collected last night. Although you had given the originals of everything to the Shimadas, it was standard procedure for you to keep a copy for yourself. The lines and lines of different file names reflected dully off of your glassy, nap-glazed eyes when a knock at the door startled you. Shizune had been the last person to come see you and that exchange had definitely not gone as planned. Nonetheless, you heaved your body off of the desk chair and ambled to the door. You sighed as you threw your pillow-mussed hair over your shoulder and lifted the hem of your lose shirt.  
When you unceremoniously slid the door open to reveal Hanzo’s face, it took a moment for the surprise to register through your brain. No words could form in your swampy brain, so the only things Hanzo was greeted with were your bagged eyes widened with surprise. He returned your blank stare, his eyebrows lifting slightly. For a moment you two were left hanging in a tight silence. It was clear that he was expecting you to speak first, but you remained silent.  
“I have brought you a list of rival clans my father is considering working with,” Hanzo said flatly, his face falling back into his characteristic aloof expression. “He wants you to research them and determine which alliance would be most beneficial.”  
“Oh,” you said, gingerly taking the list from his hands. “Okay.”  
Your sluggish attention glued itself onto the list in your hands and you ceased to regard the young man in front of you.  
Hanzo allowed his stiff facade to drop for a moment as his eyes carefully dropped onto you. His gaze slid tenderly over the sun-bathed strands of your hair as some deep part of his brain ran through the motions you must have made on your pillow to allow the hairs to entwine just so. His stare followed the curve of your neck and pooled in the hollows of your collar bones, resting there almost absentmindedly.  
Your head rose up from the paper in your hands as you slowly moved your eyes to meet Hanzo’s, his gaze flicking up somewhere to the left. You paid it no mind.  
“I could really use your help with this,” you stated.  
Hanzo’s eyes flicked back to you with vigor. “My help?”  
“Yes,” you replied, “Things would go much faster if I could get the basic information up front. You do know some things about these clans, right? The ruling families, their specialities, that kind of thing?”  
“Of course,” Hanzo said.  
“Great,” you replied, a small smile slowly spreading across your face, as you finally seemed to wake up. “How about after dinner?”  
“Perfect,” Hanzo replied, a small smile of his own forming on his face.  
You blinked at him one more time before lowering your gaze and sliding the door shut. Hanzo was left alone in the dark hallway and, after a moment, released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow im not dead


End file.
